


Useless Bravery

by Inkribbon796



Series: Masks and Maladies [81]
Category: Markiplier fandom - Fandom, Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Another fic in which Virgil makes some bad decisions, Dark being a villain, Gen, Panic Attacks, superhero au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:40:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25179343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkribbon796/pseuds/Inkribbon796
Summary: Virgil wants to be a real hero despite his fears and past. So he decides that, if he’s going to be a good guy, he needs to stop working with the bad guys.Something that gets complicated when the villain life isn’t quite done with him.
Series: Masks and Maladies [81]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538131
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	Useless Bravery

**Author's Note:**

> It’s a two-for this week, because my brain was half functioning and I need to get on with this story.

Virgil knew he had to face him eventually, the rest of the heroes already knew. He just had to look Dark in the eye and . . .

. . . Virgil was already getting sweaty palms. He was pretty sure this was going to end with Dark trying to stab him in the heart, and he was torn between bringing someone with him and sneaking off.

But he didn’t want anyone else to get hurt, so he decided to go alone.

Anxiety was hardly the only one to do so, Eric made a habit of sneaking off like a rebellious teenager every so often, and hell knew where Marvin disappeared off to sometimes.

In the end, Virgil put on his dark cloak and picked a time during the day, a point where him slipping off for a _“breath of fresh air''_ wouldn’t be questioned by anyone. He started wandering, not sure how to approach Dark without being shot by one of his flunkies.

After some thought and wandering, and what felt like eyes from the dark abyss boring into his soul, he stopped in front of a traditional Korean restaurant that Dark used as a front for _“business meetings”_ and Virgil figured Dark would see him coming.

Awkwardly, Virgil walked into the restaurant, already noticing one of the waiters spotting him as he was talking to a patron and leaning into his collar to whisper something.

“Hey,” Virgil said to the hostess who didn’t seem to bat an eye at his presence. She just looked him up and down.

“Do you have a reservation?” She asked curtly.

Virgil mentally stalled a bit, but he managed, “Well the big guy wanted to talk to me, so I guess I do.”

“Right this way, Sir,” she smiled at him and led him to the same upstairs room he’d last met Dark in. The only difference was that Dark was waiting for him, sitting in a comfy dining chair across a table, his aura lightly ringing at the edge of Virgil’s hearing.

“Anxiety,” Dark smiled as Virgil walked in. “How nice to see you again. I was half afraid you’d forgotten our little arrangement.”

Dark gestured to the chair across from him, “Take a seat, a waiter will be along shortly.”

Virgil already felt the need to run, or jump out the window, “I don’t think I’ll be here long enough for that.”

The mob boss stood, the slim shadow — or a mockery — of a smile at the corners of his mouth, “I suppose you’re right.”

“An’ I didn’t forget,” Virgil tried to act braver than he was, trying to channel Logan or Janus a bit. “I just wanted to be sure.”

“Of?” Dark urged, taking a couple of steps forward so he was closer, Virgil yelped and felt his heart trying to drop out of his chest and run away when he felt something curling around his left ankle.

Virgil took a couple deep breaths, trying to control his racing heart. Finally he blurted out, “Arthur’s dead.”

Then he braced to get hit, screwing his eyes just.

But that didn’t happen. Not even close.

Dark just let out this amused little cackle, the grip around his ankle tightening just a little, “Oh little Anxiety, I might not remember all the little details of our last encounter at the base, but my enforcer is alive and well.”

“Hate to tell you you’re barking up the wrong tree, but you are,” Virgil said, shaking his ankle free. He wasn’t lying, not technically. The guy was dead as a doornail, but the Host still breathed and walked anyways. “You’re mistaking someone else for him.”

“Who?” Dark seemed way too happy for someone who was most likely furious at Virgil. All kinds of red flags were waving in Virgil’s mind.

“Like I’d give you another hero’s identity,” Virgil told him, then summoning up every brave fiber in his body, he proclaimed, “Look if you’re going to kill me, just do it already. Not like it’s going to change the fact that the guy’s dead.”

“Kill you?” Dark let out this chilling cackle that just unnerved the anxious Side down to the bone. “Now why would I kill a useful little Trojan horse like you?”

Something in Virgil felt like he’d been stabbed, “What?”

Dark’s smile seemed to become twisted, inhuman. “Use that brain of yours for five seconds, _Virgil_ , why would I let an opportunity like you go? It was obvious from even the first second that you didn’t belong with us and initially I’d planned to let you go with nothing more than a bloodied back and some lacerations. Then I had two of my own disappear and there you were, just needing a little push out of the nest.”

“What—” Virgil felt like the world was caving in on him. “What did you do to me?”

“Oh nothing,” Dark grinned. “Nothing short of shaving all the skin off your body won’t solve. I just infused you with a spell that discreetly went off when Anti and Mare used that device to possess you. So that every time you entered or left the base, my aura would be left behind. So I could get in easier. That last encounter at the base I was so close, I can feel it. J.J’s never had to reset me _seven_ times before. Either he’s been getting more powerful, or I’ve been slacking.”

“You fucker!” Virgil shouted. “That wasn’t part of the deal!”

“You don’t make open deals with the devil, sweetheart,” Dark scoffed.

“I didn’t make an open deal, I promised to find someone, not sneak you in!” Virgil shouted in an angry panic.

“I do have to congratulate you on such an authentic performance, I knew that kicked puppy dog look would do wonders on them,” Dark smiled, clearly ignoring Virgil’s outburst.

“You bastard!” Virgil spat. “You lying son of a bitch!”

He got punched in the gut by Dark’s aura for that last one.

“A pity no one ever taught you manners,” Dark warned, watching Virgil cough violently. “Deceit was always the best you four had to offer.”

“You lied to me,” Virgil accused. “They were all lies, weren’t they?”

Dark had the gall to look like a proud cat that had been caught devouring a cage full of prized birds. “Did you like it, maybe I should lay on the grief and betrayal more? Do you think the other heroes would buy it?”

“You monster,” Virgil snarled. “Don’t you dare touch them.”

“If they hadn’t been harboring my enforcers, they would be minding their own business and chasing their tails, but no they had to steal from me!” Dark threatened, his aura and echoes shattering briefly to remind Virgil that Dark was actually furious.

“I told you he’s dead,” Virgil insisted.

Dark’s aura started to slowly envelope the room, the ringing hurt Virgil’s ears to the point he was afraid they’d start bleeding. “I wonder how much I have to hurt you before you tell me the truth? And best of all I can just dump your unconscious body in front of their base and they’d just take you back in a heartbeat.”

“No!” Virgil felt a pulse of fear whip out of him before he could decide to use it, Dark seemed unaffected.

“I’m all but immune to you now,” Dark warned proudly. “Your little magic trick barely worked on me to begin with.”

“Get away from me!” Virgil tried to back out of Dark’s aura but it seemed to be everywhere. “Get away—”

He was spiraling into a panic attack, realizing how thoroughly trapped he was. He berated himself on coming alone. _“What kind of idiot comes alone to talk to_ Dark _?”_ he thought to himself critically.

“Now,” Dark took another step, Virgil panicked and tried to keep some kind of distance between them.

“Where,” he took another step, forcing Virgil to take a second retreating step or two.

“Are,” Dark’s next step made Virgil’s back hit the wall, “they?”

“He’s not,” Virgil’s voice caught in his throat, “I don’t.”

“Shame that Deceit never taught you how to lie properly,” Dark’s hand gripped onto the bottom of his chin, his black nails digging into Virgil’s skin, producing a squeak of terror from him. “You will tell me what I want to know, _Virgil_.”

At that second Virgil felt something like hands grip his ankles and Virgil screamed so loud his voice almost went completely hoarse as he was pulled down into what looked like complete darkness. He closed his eyes and hit the side of something hard.

Virgil was in a full panic at this point, screaming and curling himself into a tight ball, his eyes closed tightly.

“—going to bring down the neighborhood.”

Virgil felt a hand on his back and started whimpering, trying to get whoever was touching him to let go. Mental sirens going off. _Let go! Let go! I’m going to die! He’s going to kill me!_

Mercifully the hand pulled away from him but the sheer knowledge that Dark lurking around him had him still spiraling.

“Virgil?”

_They’re not going to find my body! Do Sides even leave bodies? What idiot comes alone to meet Dark?_

“Virgil?”

That time the voice got through to him, and Virgil looked through tear-blurry eyes, sure that his eyeliner and eyeshadow was running, and saw the black and yellow of Janus’s cloak.

“Virgil, it’s just me,” Janus reassured. “Can I touch you?”

“Dee,” Virgil chokes out, so relieved to see another Side. He threw himself at Janus, feeling so elated he started crying again.

Janus startled at the unexpected lunge but let Virgil hug him, rubbing circles into his back. “We have you now.”

“Dark!” Virgil suddenly remembered, still worked up into a panic. “We have to get out of here.”

“I need you to calm down, you remember your breathing right?” Janus reminded. “Would you like me to get you some ice.”

“No he’s here and he’s going to kill everyone,” Virgil told him.

“Virgil, where do you think you are?” Deceit asked, a bowl of ice chunks suddenly in his hand.

Startled a little, Virgil looked around and saw he was in the apartment he used to live in with the others.

“I need to get out of here,” Virgil blurted. “He can’t find me here.”

“Anxiety should relax,” the Host announced himself from where he was standing in the Sides’ kitchen. There was blood dripping from beneath his bandages. “So long as the Host is here, Anxiety and his friends are safe.”

“You!” Virgil growled, his voice echoing a bit. “Why don’t you own up to Dark for leaving instead of letting the heroes do it?”

“The Host cannot strike before things are ready,” the Host tried to reassure but Virgil was just so angry at him.

“We could have died!” Virgil shouted. “Why not just fight Dark if you’re so powerful?”

“Because the Host is selfish and knows when to pick his battles,” the Host answered. “The city has bigger problems than the Entity’s rogue parental instincts.”

“Did you know I was being tracked?” Virgil demanded.

“Honestly the Host didn’t expect it to keep being a problem, once Anxiety begins fusing ag—”

“No!” Virgil shouted. “I’m not going back there, I’ll let Dark in.”

The Host quiet for a bit, “Anxiety is fighting against the tides of fate and time, regardless of how long it takes, Virgil will rejoin the heroes.”

“Yeah well you also told Eric he was going to spill his coffee and then he didn’t,” Virgil accused. “I can’t keep betraying them if I never go back. You knew, _you knew_ and never told me!”

“Anxiety is a constant unpredictable variable, and the Host will not apologize for doing what he thought was right,” the Host countered.

Maybe it was because he was rattled and angry, but the Host just reminded him so much of Dark in that moment. “You’re just selling all of them out. You want us all to die?”

“Anxiety is incorrect,” the Host responded, sounding angry. “The Host is interested in protecting his doctor. He will try to save those he considers allies and friends, but the Host’s Doctor is the Host’s top priority.”

“Get out!” Janus ordered.

Virgil flinched at Janus’s yell, taking a step away from him.

“You can take that care and consideration and walk back to Dark and the heroes and tell them all to fuck off,” Deceit hissed, glaring at the Host. “You don’t get to use him like that.”

“The Host has done no such thing,” the Host defended. “Anxiety was actually in danger and so the Host removed him, the Host would have not allowed actual harm to come to Anxiety. However, if his presence is undesirable, he will take his leave.”

“You should,” Janus agreed.

The Host’s narrations began to get more hushed and cluttered, his eyes starting to bleed again, then he was gone.

Immediately Janus turned back to Virgil, looking him over, “Are you hurt?”

Virgil shook his head, “Not really.”

Janus let out an angry hiss, “I’m going to find Logan and give him a piece of my mind. Logical one my ass.”

“No! No! No!” Virgil pleaded desperately. “I can’t go back. Dark put some tracker on me and I’ll kill everyone.”

“Where is it?” Janus asked, walking over to the closet and pulling out a dark purple weighted blanket, draping it over Virgil.

“I don’t know, but he’s using it to get into their base,” Virgil rambled, pulling the blanket closer around him and over his head. “I don’t want to help him. I don’t want to be the bad guy.”

Janus felt uncomfortable and heartbroken, but did his best to hide that. “Alright, I’ll see what I can do, if you don’t mind the fact that your bedroom might have been turned into Remus’s new art studio.”

“Ugh, I’ll sleep on the floor,” Virgil rolled his eyes. “The sooner I get this curse off me the better.”

“Oh trust me,” Janus smiled snakishly. “You obviously impose and your presence is clearly not welcome.”

“Shut up,” Virgil chuckled, punching Janus’s arm. The serpentine Side chuckled a bit, and Virgil looked away hesitantly. “Hey do you guys still have that shitty, awful knock-off Dr. Pepper?”

“What type of household do you think this is, young man?” Janus sounded scandalized as he walked over to the fridge and the whole thing shook when Janus pulled the door handle and shook again when Janus closed it. He did underhand a can of soda to the anxious Side. “What are they even feeding you over there?”

“Fruits and vegetables?” Virgil carefully held the can away from him, and more importantly his blanket, in case Remus had maliciously shaken all the cans. He looked around to see the couch oddly vacant of its usual occupant. “Where’s Agent Orange?”

“Hell if I know,” Janus dismissed, grabbing himself a drink as well. “Hopefully not getting into trouble, he’s been walking off a lot lately.”

“I hope he does get arrested, sometimes he creeps me out,” Virgil admitted. “Means I can crash on his couch without him standing over me and watching me sleep.”

“Just get some rest, Mr. Hero,” Janus told him. “When you wake up we’ll try and see if we can find that tracking spell.”

“What if Dark comes back?” Virgil asked.

“He won’t,” Janus promised, desperately hoping this one didn’t turn out to be the lie. “Sleep, rest, and everything will be better soon.”

It took awhile for Virgil to calm down enough to take a nap. It wasn’t that it was late in the day, but the anxious Side was exhausted and Janus wanted him calm and rested before they tried anything involving Dark.

**Author's Note:**

> I like to imagine Dark sees a bit of himself in Virgil, hence the excessive force and tough love.


End file.
